Emirates recycles A380 weight of plastic, glass in 2022

By Business AM

Emirates recycled more than 500,000 kilogrammes of plastic and glass in 2022 by collecting discarded bottles onboard for repurposing, the airline said in a statement.

500,000 kilogrammes is almost the same weight as a fully loaded Emirates flagship A380 aircraft.

According to the airline, onboard every flight that lands in Dubai, its cabin crew work hard to quickly separate glass and plastic bottles, before they are sent to a recycling plant in Dubai. The glass is separated by colour and crushed.

It explained that this ‘cullet’ or recycled glass that is ready to be re-melted, is then sent to glass manufacturers in the UAE to include in their batch mix for new bottles. The plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped into flakes, melted into pellets, and sent to manufacturers to make other plastic products. As a result, Emirates and Emirates Flight Catering divert thousands of kilogrammes of glass and plastic away from landfill each year, it stated.

The glass and plastic recycling initiative onboard was suggested by environmentally conscious Emirates Cabin Crew in 2019, as part of regular webinars and events where they are given a platform to share feedback and encouraged to share innovative ideas to key departments. The proposal was well-received and implemented within weeks.

Emirates has several other initiatives which focus on repurposing plastic or using sustainable materials where possible. These include Emirates blankets made from recycled plastic; prioritising responsible sourcing;

Emirates children’s toys made from sustainably sourced material; Emirates reusable onboard amenity kits.